Rebecca Santiago, CDA, of Cameron, North Carolina, has been selected as a winner of the 2017 Liz Koch Memorial Scholarship.

Santiago has held DANB certification for the past 14 years and is currently employed with the U.S. Army. Santiago plans to use her scholarship toward tuition and textbooks at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where she is pursuing a degree in business administration, with the goal of one day managing a dental practice.

“The last fourteen years of my life have been spent in a most professionally fulfilling way — I have been a DANB-certified chairside dental assistant,” Santiago says. “I am proud to be a dental assistant and look forward to furthering my education to be a more well-rounded professional.”

Santiago was selected as one of four winners out of 92 total applicants.

The Liz Koch Memorial Scholarship is intended to help oral healthcare professionals reach their professional development goals and support their mentorship activities. This scholarship is offered through the DALE Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides continuing education to dental professionals and conducts sound research to promote oral health. The DALE Foundation is the official affiliate of the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB), the national certifying board for dental assistants. To learn more, visit www.dalefoundation.org.